MS CRM is very close to document workflow automation, including Microsoft Office documents: Words, Excel, etc. The document workflow was perfectly automated about 10 years ago in Lotus Notes Domino. In this small article we describe the solution based on MS CRM integration with MS SharePoint.
Microsoft CRM is new player on CRM applications market and it is gaining its market share. Having different paradigm in its design (it stakes on Microsoft OS and technologies and completely disregards alternative platform, such as UNIX, Linux, Oracle, etc. based). Microsoft CRM market is very diversified: from small (5 users) to large (several hundred MS CRM User licenses) and it serves variety of industries: Transportation, Logistics, Lawyers, Pension Funds, High-Tech, and many others. Deploying technologies, like Windows Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange 2003/2000, SQL Server, Crystal Reports Enterprise, Biztalk, Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Great Plains and Navision in close future - makes CRM a beloved system for Microsoft oriented IT departments.
Let's go right to the topic.
Major issue with storing documents in MS CRM in the form of attachments to Activity is inability to work on these attached files in cooperation with other colleagues, who do not have to use CRM. When several service people serve requests from the same client this is required. Currently you can use alternative way when you store office documents in the folders of your file system and when modifying document, you save it and reattach to CRM. This is inconvenient, because first it requires all your editing users to have CRM licenses, which delays CRM implementation.
We seem increasing popularity of document storage systems, like Microsoft SharePoint, Oracle Files, etc. Such systems, being implemented gives you time savings, related to documents revisions and versioning, approval cycles and workflows, web access through web-portals systems and the like.
The target of our product is Microsoft SharePoint integration with MS CRM for document storage. Let's take a look at the high level technical realization details:
?Main modification from the MS CRM side is standard system behavior change when you open attachment in Activity. Standard unmodified CRM suggests you to store documents in the file system. Modified version sores document in SharePoint Document Library (the required library is subject for setup by MS CRM system administrator) or keep it in MS CRM as is (for documents of minor importance). From the moment of saving the document in SharePoint Document Library it is not stored in MS CRM ? CRM will now store only the link/reference to the document. Also you are given the ability to open and modify the document at the place of opening, which speeds up MS CRM user performance substantially.
?Table, storing the links to the documents sits in separate database and doesn't deal with MS CRM tables (you know that you are banned to do structure changes in MS CRM db)
?Document saving into MS SharePoint process occurs in MS CRM and with its assistance ? SharePoint bridge, which does addition and update for the existing document into destination Document Library with MS SharePoint Web Services calls
?Upon the addition into Document Library, MS CRM ? SharePoint bridge registers the document in the special table for the future data extraction or notification mechanism registration
?Then, interested users can work with the documents just using MS Office 2003 or other programs/editing tools, assuming these tools have access to MS SharePoint
?Feedback is provided by MS SharePoint Event Handler component. This is special handler, inspecting document change status, transferred from MS CRM to document storage (SharePoint), and report Activity owner on the changes with home page notifications (User home page in MS CRM). User in turn can review the history of the document editing - who, when and where is the change
?Opening Activity, where document is "attached", and in fact placed into MS SharePoint Document Library, and pressing opening button, MS CRM user gets live version of the data
?This approach allows you seamless work with MS CRM document in the whole informational space of your company
?Additional enhancements to this product might be document library management directly from MS CRM (web interface - meaning remotely), administrative interface for MS Sharepoint documents revision, ability to create reports on the document storage status, rights/access management (Author, Reader, Contributor etc) from MS CRM, portal pages integration into MS CRM to name a few.
Happy programming, implementation, customization and modification! If you want us to do the job ? call use 1-630-961-5918, 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com
Boris Makushkin is Lead Software Developer in Alba Spectrum Technologies ? USA nationwide Oracle, Navision, Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, serving Chicago, California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Georgia, Florida, New York, Canada, Australia, UK, Russia, Europe and internationally ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Oracle, Unix, Microsoft CRM SDK, Navision, C#, VB.Net, SQL developer.
shuttle from O'Hare Bingham .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareThe destruction of the Soviet Union about 15 years ago,... Read More
Customer Relationship Management, abbreviated "CRM," is the term for a... Read More
Need software to record your voice, streaming audio or musical... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is marketed for mid-size companies... Read More
Although statistics often is blamed for various deadly sins --... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Solomon and Axapta are Microsoft Business... Read More
"Pfishing", sometimes spelled "Phishing", is a word that's used to... Read More
Just imagine: you are walking, say, towards your car, and... Read More
Internet worms. Is your PC infected?If your computer has become... Read More
Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more popular,... Read More
If there still are few unprotected computers left, I haven't... Read More
(1) Avoid using the same variable again and again for... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is very good fit for... Read More
For those who are unclear on the differences between the... Read More
If you company is small or mid-size special products or... Read More
MS CRM is very close to document workflow automation, including... Read More
Trying to figure out a stream in banning one email... Read More
Collaboration SoftwareCollaboration Software, also known as group collaboration software or... Read More
Does Microsoft care for WebmastersIt's always been a problem with... Read More
Anyone who has ever used Microsoft Word knows that it... Read More
The world of small business accounting software can be a... Read More
Once upon a time not so long ago, there was... Read More
Bad News - the Threat is Bigger than it SeemedHow... Read More
Every organization which creates collaborative documents, whether they are budgets,... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is Dexterity-written application and currently... Read More
Mishawaka limo O'Hare ..Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has I'd say end user... Read More
How would you like to prevent spyware and adware from... Read More
I provide, here clear explanations and a count of function... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions is now in process of creating so... Read More
Google Inc. has launched a new software package that allows... Read More
The intuitive algorithm.Roger Penrose considered it impossible. Thinking could never... Read More
Make-or-Break Factors in Success and ProfitabilityFor quick printers, estimating can... Read More
It could just be me, but my experiences with document... Read More
If you company is small or mid-size special products or... Read More
Most people understand that the "hardware" part of their computer... Read More
Great Plains Purchase Order Processing (POP) module makes up one-third... Read More
Spyware and malware are large problems for Internet users today... Read More
Linux essentials:It's free for download but you have to pay... Read More
No matter how much you enjoy your favorite screensavers, sometimes... Read More
This article is for advanced Microsoft CRM SDK C# developers.... Read More
It's not very often I get excited about a software... Read More
Lotus Notes Domino is very efficient in electronic document workflow... Read More
If you would like to pick something from Microsoft, or... Read More
Let's first look at your ERP system selection (without Retail... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has full-featured manufacturing set of... Read More
MSN messenger is a pretty cool invention. I mean I'm... Read More
TCO (Total Cost Ownership) is the buzzword in... Read More
We all already got used to computer monitoring both at... Read More
Microsoft CRM is winning market share step-by-step from such the... Read More
Is your PC is slow and wimpy? Then you need... Read More
Software |